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Heart of Darkness
"Heart of Darkness" is the second episode of Miami Vice's first season. The episode premiered on September 28, 1984. Summary Crockett and Tubbs work with an undercover (and possibly over the edge) FBI agent to bring down a pornography ring. Plot Crockett and Tubbs play pornographic film distributors from New Jersey and visit a film being made with Penny McGraw, who said she just got off the bus from Kansas, and is possibly underage. They meet Jimmy Conway, who leads them into a warehouse of porn to discuss a meeting with Jimmy's boss, Artie and Artie's boss, Sam Kovics about moving volume. Just then the Vice cops raid the warehouse and take everyone to jail, including Crockett, Tubbs and Jimmy. Artie bails out Crockett, Tubbs and Jimmy and sends a car to pick them up. The Vice cops are getting tired of having to deal with Artie when they were told to deal with Sam Kovics. Suddenly the meeting is called off and they are dropped off, Jimmy tells them Artie was driving, and the meeting was cancelled due to the Feds tailing Artie. Back at OCB, Rodriguez said Penny McGraw was sprung by Kovics. The FBI agents Dennis Doyle and Mark Russo stop by and try to arrange a file exchange as they are also after Kovics, Crockett politely told the agents to get lost, and ask Trudy to do a check on Artie Rollins. Penny McGraw is later found dead due to an overdose, living in a house with rent paid for by a Kovics holding company, she was a 16 year old runaway from Kansas, and she answered an ad in the paper for models in Miami. Trudy comes in and after running her check, found that Rollins is really Arthur Lawson, an undercover FBI agent. Rodriguez gets nowhere with the FBI to find out any info on Lawson, but to check with Switek about a contact he has there that owes him due to Switek cutting his nephew a break on a drug bust at a UB40 concert. Tubbs gives Switek and Zito tips on setting up a sting operation for stolen goods without getting popped. Switek gets a hold of his contact, Calman Clayburn, who tells Crockett and Tubbs the Bureau thinks he has gone over, due to being cut off from the FBI completely, and to tell Switek they're even. They meet Jimmy, Artie (Ed O'Neill) and Sam Kovics (Paul Hecht). Artie goes outside to meet Renny, who brought him money and then Artie proceeds to kick him down until Crockett and Tubbs pull him off, and Artie wants their money ready for tomorrow. Crockett is having trouble getting the money for the meet from Artie, and Rodriguez said no money until they can prove Artie hasn't crossed over. They go to see Artie's wife (Cheryl Giannini) who said Artie asked to be brought in and the FBI refused, saying he had to stay under until they got the case against Kovics, and begs Crockett and Tubbs to bring him back to her. They get back to the pier and find Elvis the Gator has wreaked havoc everywhere. Agents Doyle and Russo stop by to tell Crockett and Tubbs that Kovics is moving to Mexico, but Crockett and Tubbs are buying Kovics' inventory. They go to see Artie who has determined that Crockett and Tubbs are cops. Artie has enough evidence to put Kovics away but wants enough to put him away forever, but he knows nothing about Penny McGraw's murder. He will call them later in the day to arrange the bust of Kovics. Gina and Trudy picked up Artie's "girlfriend", a porn star who shows them tickets to Mexico for her and Artie when Kovics moves down. Rodriguez wants to bring Artie in but Crockett and Tubbs wants to leave him out and get Kovics, so they get their money, but when they go to meet Artie, he's gone and cleaned his apartment out. Back on the St. Vitus Dance (after Elvis destroyed Crockett's entire Buddy Holly record collection) Artie called to arrange for the Kovics meet that night. Tubbs is set up with a wire, but due to Lester (their normal person) not being available, another techie fixes up the bug. In the limo with Artie and Kovics, Tubbs' wire starts playing radio music, which blows their cover, and the limo goes to a remote place (where the raising drawbridge stops the backup cold) so they can shoot Crockett and Tubbs--but Kovics wants Artie to shoot them. Artie then throws the gun to Crockett and begins shooting at Kovics' men. During the shootout, Artie takes a machine gun to finish off Kovics. The FBI takes Artie in for debriefing, but he maintains he had nothing to do with Penny McGraw's murder. During a get-together at a bar, Rodriguez tells Crockett and Tubbs that Artie committed suicide by hanging himself in the mens room during a break in the debriefing. Cast *Don Johnson as Metro-Dade Detective James "Sonny" Crockett *Philip Michael Thomas as Metro-Dade Detective Ricardo "Rico" Tubbs *Saundra Santiago as Metro-Dade Detective Gina Calabrese *Michael Talbott as Metro-Dade Detective Stan Switek *John Diehl as Metro-Dade Detective Larry Zito *Olivia Brown as Metro-Dade Detective Trudy Joplin *Gregory Sierra as Metro-Dade Lieutenant Lou Rodriguez Guest Stars *Ed O'Neill as FBI Agent Arthur Lawson/Artie Rollins *Paul Hecht as Sam Kovics *Cheryl Giannini as Mrs. Arthur Lawson Co-Starring *Suzy Amis as Penny McGraw *Ted Zurkowski as Jimmy Conway *Brent Jennings as Jiveman *Julian Byrd as FBI Agent Dennis Doyle *Mal Jones as FBI Agent Calman Clayburn *Julio Oscar Mechoso as Metro-Dade Policeman Lester Kosko *Gary Richardson as FBI Agent Marc Russo Notes * The Miami Vice Theme, the riffs and background scenery are different in the Gregory Sierra episodes than they are for the rest of the series. * Jan Hammer's "Rain" music (used in "Milk Run") is used when Artie is speaking to Crockett and Tubbs before the FBI takes him for debriefing. * The end credits feature scenes from the show, instead of the usual stock footage of Miami landmarks as is the case in later episodes. * This episode is arguably a loose interpretation of the novella that bears its name, "Heart of Darkness" by Joseph Conrad. In both cases, one character has become possibly disloyal to their original interests, Kurtz in the novel and Artie in this episode. * The car dealership the police pass when they are trying to save Crockett and Tubbs from being killed by Kovics, Tropical Chevrolet, is still in business at the same location. Music *"She's a Beauty" by The Tubes (opening) *"Missing You" by John Waite (during opening credits) *"Going Under" by Devo (Crockett and Tubbs driving to meet) *"This Masquerade" by George Benson (end sequence at bar) Quotes *"If all else fails, we can pop 'em for felony bad dialogue" -- Crockett *"Don't you EVER interfere with me again!!" -- Artie to Crockett and Tubbs after stopping the beatdown of Renny *"I don't know who you guys are, but you're dead!'" -- Kovics to Crockett and Tubbs after their cover is blown Category:Miami Vice Season 1 Episodes